


Company

by Titti



Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-10-03
Updated: 2004-10-03
Packaged: 2017-11-27 22:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lex and Lana decide that going to hell isn't so bad if you have company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Company

Lex looked up from his monitor and smiled, but when he saw Lana's face, he closed the laptop and walked to her. "What's wrong?" A question that was loaded with possibilities in this town.

After hesitating on the threshold, Lana walked quickly toward Lex and hugged him tightly. "Men are jerks," she mumbled against his chest.

Lex smiled. The affairs of the heart might have been painful, but not as much as the psychopathic mutants that inhabited Smallville. "Thank you for telling me. I'll be sure to pass it along to the other members of my gender." With his hands on her shoulders, he pulled her back enough that he could look at her. "Let's sit down and you can explain me why."

Lana nodded, and let Lex lead her to the couch. Lex sat next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I caught Jason with another woman."

Lex squeezed her shoulder, his lips brushing against her long locks. He didn't answer for a moment, but he needed to ask. "I know this might sound strange, but... are you sure that it was him? Or that he wasn't under the influence of something?"

Lana started to chuckle, and soon it turned into laughter. She sat up and rubbed her forehead, before turning her head to look at Lex. "It's not strange. It's the first thing I thought. You know it was easier to think that it was a mutant thing, but no it wasn't. Clark helped me prove that," she said bitterly.

"Ah, Clark." Lex got up and went to the trolley. He poured two glasses of brandy, and handed one to Lana. "Far from me to suggest that Clark might not be a monument of truth, but he isn't always the most objective when you're involved."

"Thank you, for the brandy and the diplomacy, but I saw it with my own eyes. Like you, I wasn't really convinced when Clark told me the first time. I investigated myself, but Clark wanted to help." Lana took a sip of the amber liquor, swallowing the bitterness of this latest relationship. "I think he wanted to make a point. You'd think that with his crush on Lois, he'd direct his attention toward her."

"You don't sound too happy with Clark," Lex remarked, sitting down again.

Lana shrugged. "I don't know, Lex. I thought he was my friend, but there have been too many lies."

Lex snorted. "Tell me about it."

They stayed in silence, sipping their brandy. The fire crackled in the fireplace even though it wasn't really cold out, but the ancient stones made the house perennially chilly.

"There is no way that I'll ever find a man in this town. Take out the mutants, the ones with no brains, the ones whose interests start and end with football..."

"I don't want to speak bad of the dead, but I think you dated him already." Lex cracked a smile. "Not that I'm one to speak about partners."

Lana rolled her eyes. "Understatement of the century." She turned toward Lex and laid her hands on Lex's thigh. "We shouldn't be here. We've been kidnapped on a regular basis, suffered multiple concussions, shot at, stabbed, and generally treated like a punching bag."

"But Smallville has his mysteries and that's what keeps us here. Why else would you have come back?" Lex asked curious. "You were in Paris. You had the men, the museums, the cafes, yet you returned."

"It's more complicated than that, Lex." She stood up and began to pace in front of the coffee table. 

Lex watched with his calm, but obviously something was bothering Lana, something a lot bigger than Jason or past experiences. "Are you okay?" he asked softly when she didn't speak.

She stopped in front of Lex, and sat on the coffee table. Lana leaned forward and rested her hands on Lex's knees. "Something happened to me in Paris, Lex, and I can't explain it, but I know it's tied to Smallville."

Lex reached for a loose lock of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "If I can help you in any way, just tell me."

"No one knows, Lex. I haven't told... I'm not even sure..." She frowned, trying to make a decision and then she stood up. She turned around and began to open her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Lex couldn't decide if he was shocked or amused by Lana's behavior.

"Look, just look at it." She pushed her pants down enough to show her tattoo. "I didn't get this. I went to sleep and woke up with it." Lana turned her head. "Do you know where I've seen this same design?"

Lex traced the tattoo with his fingertips, absorbed by this new mystery. Finally, he looked up. "The caves."

Lana nodded.

"And this was in Paris." Nothing made sense. Why would Lana have a design on her back, and why now? "When did you get it? Do you remember the day?"

"Yeah, I do. September 22nd, why?"

Shaking his head, Lex evaluated the information. "And the coincidences just pile up." He looked intently at Lana. He had a decision to make. Lana could help or hinder in his search, but he had to trust her. Lex rested his snifter on the table and got up. "Come with me," he said taking her hand.

He walked as fast as he could, mindful of Lana's high heels, holding her hand throughout. Lex unlocked the door and allowed her to go in first. His heart sped up and he held his breath. He was taking a big risk, and Lana might never forgive him for this, just like Clark hadn't, but if anyone could help, it was Lana.

"I thought Clark was obsessed," Lana whispered.

"It's not what you think, Lana," Lex said with a calm that he didn't feel. He didn't want to lose one of the few friends he had left, a woman he had come to admire and appreciate.

Lana turned, and Lex could almost feel the doubts in her gaze. "Since coming to Smallville, my life has been one mystery after another. I should be dead. I should have died that day---" He pointed to the computer screen with the reproduction of the accident.

"Lana, everything in this room is about me, about me surviving." He walks toward the 42 inch projector. "Look at this. On September 22nd, I was returning from Egypt after having found a stone. Someone manually opened my plane while we were at flying altitude and took that stone. That same day, Clark resurfaced. Maybe it's coincidence, and only a few months ago I could have put the puzzle here and left it alone, but I can't, not anymore."

Lana stood at his side, hands crossed in front of her. "What's different now, Lex?"

Lex smiled sadly. "I'm dying, Lana. My father poisoned me, and I don't know how long I'll survive."

Lana's hand, warm against his cheek didn't seem as an invasion as it would have seemed not too long ago. He covered her hand with his. "I know this is crazy, but I need to know how I survived all of the other times, how others have survived in the worse situations. I don't have the answers, but I know one thing. There is one thing in common with all of these incidents."

"Clark," Lana murmured.

Lex nodded. "Clark. He thinks I'm doing something horrible here, not that I can blame him for thinking that. I am, after all, the spawn of Satan, and we know that I'll end up in hell one day."

Lana shook her head. "Since I've met you, you've done everything to help me, Clark and the people of this town. Whoever says differently can't see what's in front of his eyes." She stepped closer, until their bodies were touching. Reaching up, she kissed him chastely. "You're a good man, Lex, and you're not going to die. We'll find something. I'll help you."

Lex laid one hand on her back, fingers splayed over her small frame. "You might become unpopular."

"I need answers, too, Lex, and besides, I'm tired of being the good girl. I hear hell can be lots of fun." Wrapping her arms around Lex's neck, she smiled. "Want some company?"

Lex laughed. "I'd love to." Looking at the smile on Lana's face, he could almost believe that things would be all right.


End file.
